[1] Adam, the single soul, and Eve its mate.
[2] People’s rights, especially those of kith and kin, are to be honored as much as Allah’s own rights.
[3] ‘Ā’ishah (رضي الله عنها) said: “This verse was revealed concerning any man under whom is an orphan girl for whom he is both guardian and inheritor, while she has money and with no one to argue in her favor. This guardian is enjoined not to marry her for her money, nor is he to beat or molest her in the process. In this respect, Allah says: “If you fear that you may not maintain justice with orphan girls [by marrying them] then marry women of your choice”. That is, He, the Almighty, is saying: “These I made lawful for you, and leave out those that you may be unfair to.”” [Al-Bukhārī: 4573, Muslim: 3018]
[4] The obligatory bridal gift (mahr).
[5] Test those orphans over whom you are guardian so as to make sure that they are discerning enough to be given their money and will not squander it due to lack of mental maturity.
[6] This ‘ordained share’ is detailed in verse 11-12 below.
[7] Those who have no share in the inheritance.
[8] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Beware of the seven most cardinal sins: And among them he mentioned consuming an orphan’s property”. [Al-Bukhārī, 6857; Muslim, 89]
[9] Based upon prophetic Hadīths, scholars have ruled that debt takes precedence over a bequest, that a bequest should not include anyone who inherit by law, and that the total bequest should not be more than one third of the estate. After the fulfillment of debts and bequests (if any), the remainder of the estate is to be divided.
[10] Kalālah: A person who has no living children or parents; (from iklīl), wreath, as his brothers and sisters surround him like a wreath surrounds the head.
[11] These shares are divided equally between males and females.
[12] The witnesses must swear to actually having seen the act taking place.
[13] The provision of this verse has been abrogated by the verse of Surat an-Nūr (24:2), ordaining lashing for the unmarried and stoning to death for the married.
[14] Scholars differed over whether "the two" refers to two of the same sex (i.e., homosexuals) or those of opposite sexes. In either case, later rulings outlined in the Sunnah have replaced this one.
[15] Before seeing death with his own eyes.
[16] At the time of marriage as mahr.
[17] The mahr, a specified gift to the bride required of the man upon marriage.
[18] Their punishment is fifty (50) lashes; neither stoning to death nor exile.
[19] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "He who commits suicide by choking shall keep on choking himself in the Hellfire, and he who commits suicide by stabbing himself shall keep on stabbing himself in the Hellfire." [Sahih al-Bukhāri: 446]
[20] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Avoid the seven great destructive sins." They asked, "O Allah’s Messenger! What are they?" He said, "(1) To associate partners with Allah, (2) sorcery; (3) to kill a person whom Allah has forbidden except for a just cause; (4) to consume Ribā (usury); (5) to eat up the property of an orphan; (6) to turn one’s back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting and (7) to accuse innocent chaste women of immorality." [Sahih al-Bukhāri: 840]
[21] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Ask Allah while you firmly believe that He will respond to you; know that Allah does not respond to an inattentive and wandering heart”. [At-Tirmidhī: 3479]
[22] The majority of the scholars are of the opinion that the provision of this verse is abrogated by verse 8: 75.
[23] i.e., their husbands’ property and their own chastity.
[24] i.e., major rebellion or refusal of basic religious obligations.
[25] It may only be resorted to when the first two measures fail and when it is expected to mend the situation; otherwise, it is not allowed. ‘Ā’ishā’s (رضي الله عنها) says: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never hit anything with his hand, nor a woman, nor a servant, except when he was fighting in the path of Allah” [Al-Bukhārī: 3149; Muslim: 1057] It must not be severe or damaging, and face must be avoided, as “the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prevented hitting the face” [Sahih Muslim: 2116]
[26] This is known as the verse of the Ten Rights (al-huqūq al-‘ashrah).
[27] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Everyday two angels come down from heaven; one of them says, ‘O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your cause,’ and the other says, ‘O Allah! Destroy every miser.’" [Sahih Al-Bukhāri: 522]
[28] They are the companions of Satan, who enjoins ungodly acts and drives them away from acts of virtue.
[29] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “None who bears the weight of a mustard seed of faith in his heart will enter Hell”. [Muslim: 91]
[30] Because they know that they will be held accountable for all their past deeds and they can say nothing but the truth on that Day.
[31] The use of intoxicants was later prohibited completely. See 5:90-91.
[32] Some of the Madinan Jews used to address the Prophet (ﷺ) by subtly twisting their tongues when uttering rā‘inā to mean: “You are foolish!”
[33] This verse is a severe warning to the Jews and Christians that they must believe in Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ) and in this Qur’an.
[34] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Allah will say to that person of the Hellfire who will receive the least punishment, ‘If you had everything on the earth, would you give it as a ransom to free yourself?’ He will say, `Yes’. Then Allah will say, ‘While you were in the backbone of Adam, I asked you much less than this, (i.e., not to worship others besides Me), but you insisted on worshiping others besides me.’" [Sahih al-Bukhāri: 551]
[35] Those are the Jews who say: “We are the children of Allah and His beloved ones!” (5:18); “The Fire will not touch us except for a limited number of days!” (2:80).
[37] al-Jibt: all sorts of false things and everything that is worshiped besides Allah.
[38] al-Tāghūt: taken from ṭughyān, i.e. transgression and wrongdoing. All that transgresses against Allah. Anyone who condones being worshiped besides Allah is a ṭāghūt.
[39] Ibn ‘Abbās (رضي الله عنهما) reported: “When (the Jewish scholar) Ka‘b ibn al-Ashraf came to Makkah, the Quraysh asked him: “You are the best of the people of Madinah and their master. Aren’t you?” He replied: “Yes!” They then said: “What do you think of this sonless outcast (meaning Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) claiming that he is better than us when we are the custodians of pilgrims and the caretakers of the House of Allah!” He said: “You are indeed better than him!” Then the following verses were revealed: “Indeed, your hater is the one cut off”, (108: 3) and (5: 51- 52)”. [Al-Nasā’ī, Al-Sunan al-Kubrā: 11707; Ibn Ḥibbān: 6572]
[40] That prophethood came to Muhammad (ﷺ).
[41] Prophetic teachings.
[42] Like that of Solomon’s (عليه السلام) kingdom.
[43] Having no menses, stool, urine, etc. See 2:25, 3:15.
[44] Believers are told to obey those in charge of their affairs given that it should be in accordance with the Qur’an and Sunnah. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “No one should be obeyed in sinning against the Creator. Obeying only applies to what is deemed acceptable”. [Muslim: 1840]
[45] i.e., the hypocrites.
[46] Tāghūt: See 2:256. [47] This verse was revealed about a group of the Aslam tribe, who professed Islam, then went to Abu Zurārah al-Aslamī, the soothsayer, to settle a dispute.
[48] That is, do not punish them for their insincerity, so long as they did not make manifest their disbelief.
[49] Faith (Imān) increases with obedience and decreases with rebelliousness.
[50] Al-Siddiqīn (the people of the Truth): They realized the Truth and confirmed it with their hearts, and embodied it with words and actions. Al-Sālihīn (the righteous): Those whose outward actions are a manifestation of their inner Truth.
[51] i.e., the hypocrites.
[52] The victory or spoils of war.
[53] i.e., Makkah.
[54] See footnote 4:60.
[55] Before permission was given to them by Allah.
[56] The hypocrites addressing the Prophet (ﷺ).
[57] O children of Adam!
[58] is due to your mistakes or sins.
[59] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Whoever obeys me has obeyed Allah, and whoever disobeys me has disobeyed Allah”. [Al-Bukhārī: 7137, Muslim: 1835]
[60] You are tasked only to convey the message.
[61] i.e., the hypocrites.
[62] i.e., its words, meanings and directives.
[63] These hypocrites are the blabbers, a fifth column within the ranks of the believers who spread whatever news comes their way aiming to stir up unrest.
[64] Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘arī (رضي الله عنه) said: “When a person in need came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) or when he was asked for something, he would announce: “Intercede; you will be rewarded!” [Al-Bukhārī: 1432] Yet when a person knowingly helps someone who intends evil is a partner in that misdeed and thus will reap a portion of that evil.
[65] ‘Imrān ibn al-Husayn (رضي الله عنه) said: “A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: “Assalāmu ‘alaykum (Peace be upon you)”. He was replied to and sat down. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Ten (rewards)”. Then another one came and said: “Assalāmu ‘alaykum wa raḥmatu Allah (Peace be upon you and Allah’s Mercy)”. He was replied to and sat down. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Twenty”. Then another one came and said: “Assalāmu ‘alaykum wa raḥmatu Allah wa barakātuhu (Peace be upon you and Allah’s Mercy and His Blessings)”. He was replied to and sat down. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Thirty”. [Abū Dāwūd: 5195, At-Tirmidhī: 2689, Ahmad: 19948]
[66] Believers should honor their pledges. If a party with which believers have a peace treaty accepts those who come to them seeking refuge, then, by extension, the treaty includes them as well.
[67] Inadvertent manslaughter usually results from some degree of negligence or error, thus, this punishment is ordained for not being cautious enough.
[68] Uninterrupted fast except when there is a valid reason, e.g., illness, menses for women etc.
[69] Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: "A faithful believer remains at liberty regarding his religion unless he kills someone unlawfully." [Sahih al-Bukhāri: 2]
[70] This is someone who withholds from fighting and declares that he is a believer.
[71] i.e., Paradise.
[72] By remaining among the disbelievers in an environment where a Muslim is unable to practice his religion freely, although they have the means to emigrate.
[73] Four rak‘ah prayers are shortened to two rak‘ahs.
[74] Fear is not a condition for this concession, merely travel.
[75] This is the manner of prayer in danger on the battlefield.
[76] Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying: "By Allah! I seek Allah’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day." [Sahih al-Bukhāri: 319]
[77] Such as vindicating the culprit and incriminating the innocent.
[78] You, believers, argue on their behalf in this life.
[79] Khatī’ah is an inadvertent misdeed, while ’ithm is a deliberate one.
[80] The Sunnah and knowledge of the rulings of Islam.
[81] By extending to people useful things such as money, knowledge, kindness.
[82] All that is good and encouraged by Allah.
[83] i.e., make him responsible for his choice. [84] See 3:85.
[85] Arabs worshiped in the age of ignorance idols with female names, like: Lāt, ‘Uzzā, Manāt. See 53:19-20.
[86] They only worship false idols because Satan seduced them into this.
[87] The Arab idolaters used to cut off the ears of cattle as a sign that such were dedicated to their gods, making them unlawful to eat; calling such cattle bahīrah. By doing so, they followed the path of Satan, not that of Allah Who made the eating of cattle lawful.
[88] “Satan will say [to his followers on the Day or Judgment] after the matter has been settled: “Allah gave you a true promise; I also gave you promise, but I betrayed you...” See 14:22.
[89] “They said: “None will enter Paradise except a Jew or a Christian.” That is their wishful thinking. Say, “Produce your proof, if you are truthful.” See 2:111.
[90] This is better than breaking up.
[91] Neither divorced nor enjoying the marital rights.
[93] Giving testimony should only be meant to please Allah.
[94] i.e., renew, confirm and adhere to your faith.
[95] They willingly chose the way of loss, so Allah left them with it. See 4:115 above.
[96] They are spying and employing all means of devious wiles and ploys to demoralize the believers. [97] In the Hereafter, but possibly in this world as well.
[98] This is because what is in their minds is not to please Allah, but rather to please other mortals.
[99] The hypocrites live in a state of perpetual doubt and constant perplexity, so they are always experiencing a state of dilemma.
[100] The Prophet (ﷺ) described four characteristics of a hypocrite: 1. Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays. 2. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 3. Whenever he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous. 4. Whenever he quarrels, he behaves in an insulting manner." [Sahih al-Bukhāri: 33]. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The worst people before Allah on the Day of Judgment will be the double-faced people who appear to some people with one face and to other people with another face." [Sahih al-Bukhāri: 84]
[101] i.e., swearing, foul mouthing, being profane, hurling accusations, slandering, backbiting, etc.
[103] This demand and all of the other Israelite infringements mentioned here are detailed in Surat al-Baqarah. See 2:50-66.
[104] The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "It was said to Bani Israel, ‘Enter the gate (of the town) bowing with humility and say: ‘Repentance’, but they changed the word and entered crawling on their buttocks and said: ‘A wheat grain in the hair’." [Sahih al-Bukhāri: 615]. They said so just to ridicule Allah’s order, as they were disobedient to Him. So Allah punished them severely, most probably with a plague.
[107] The prevalent interpretation is that the People of the Book, even the Jews, will believe in Jesus; his neither being ‘an impostor’ nor ‘the son of God’, when he descends from heaven at the end of time.
[108] For more details see 6:146.
[109] Use of the absolute object (maf‘ūl mutlaq) means that Allah addressed Moses directly in a manner befitting His Majesty, without a medium, in words that he heard and understood.
[110] That is, Jesus’s spirit was created by Allah. [Ibn Kathīr, al-Sa‘dī]. Al-Baghawī says: “He (Jesus) is a soul just like any other soul but Allah added him to Himself to honor him”. Al-Shawkānī is also of this opinion. Al-Alūsī says: “Because Jesus was created by a blow (of air), not by a drop (of sperm), he was called a ‘soul’.” The Qur’an makes it clear that Jesus is just like all other human beings, whose spirit was created by Allah.
[111] i.e., Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
[112] i.e., the Qur’an which guides people to the straight path as if they walk in its light.
[113] i.e., Paradise.
[114] This verse can be a prelude to the next surah which carries on explaining the laws and rules for the believing community in a greater detail.